Unliving
Chapter eleven - Information
"Good evening." He said, and she could laugh at the hypocrisy of their situation. Pretending that he didn't just forcefully kiss her, pretending that they hadn't been at each other's throats a few hours ago, pretending he wasn't a vampire and that she wasn't his river…
'Pretend, Kagome.'
"Konban wa." She answered, and he tilted his head, as she approached him.
"No, no Japanese tonight, Kagome. English. Guests are arriving soon enough, and they are foreign. We will speak English." She nodded.
"Alright." Kagome said. He'd just used English to say that, and she admitted to be impressed by the absolute lack of weird accent that Asians usually carry with the language. But then again, he was here for 700 years, so… She herself had a small amount of accent, but not that much. She managed honorably, Kagome thought.
He suddenly took a serious stance and gained her attention. Not that she could look elsewhere anyway, he was simply captivating. She had all these feelings towards him sometimes, she didn't know where they came from, but they seemed to just take over at times. She fought back as much as she could though.
"There are a few things I should tell you, Kagome. Please take a seat."
She sat on one of the huge armchairs which were spread all over the huge room, and he did the same, choosing the one next to hers. They were more or less facing each other, by the large window. Rain continued to hit the stained glass with a muffled noise. What was new?
"My guests…" he began, and she suddenly had the feeling she wasn't gonna like this.
"Are Kindred." Her eyes widened and she fought to keep her mouth from falling open.
"You mean vampires." Kagome said, almost not believing him.
"Yes. It is rather uncommon for Kindred to meet like this, but we are all of one clan, and…" she didn't wait for him to finish.
"Clan? What clan?" She didn't understand.
"Kindred are divided into 13 clans, each with their purposes and intentions, each with their disciplines and beliefs, ways of existence, strengths and weaknesses."
"So which clan are you from?" she sprouted out, not giving it much thought. She was insanely curious.
Sesshoumaru seemed to think that this was really not the most important thing right now.
"Ventrue." He finally said, realizing that she would not give up asking until she found it out. And it wasn't a secret anyway.
"Oh." She said, as if she would have understood.
He smiled, and she felt a little out of place. But he didn't seem to mind her embarrassment, or the fact that she knew nothing of the Kindred. After all, Ventrue were the ones who supported The Masquerade mostly.
"You must understand that these people will not behave as humans do. We have a nature of our own, and even if they might seem polite and well mannered to you, they are all… we are all still kindred. Do not make the mistake of following appearance with them."
"You mean, with you." He seemed to take the remark rather hard.
"Indeed." He said, and cast aside the slight regret he felt at her cold words. She was right.
"They will not harm you as long as you allow me to make it seem as if you were my…" he couldn't really word it out; he knew it would get her mad.
"Property?" she said, grimacing at him. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat.
"I did not intend to say that particular word, but…"
"But that pretty much covers it, right?" she cut his sentence.
"Will you allow me to talk?" he emphasized on his words, and Kagome raised her eyebrows. This was really important, as it would seem.
She made a gesture with her hand, as if inviting him to do so.
"The first thing you should know is that kindred have certain abilities given to us by our
magical nature. We call them Disciplines, and each clan is specialized in two or three Disciplines, although there is no rule that says kindred could not learn other Disciplines than one of the clan." Kagome's lips were burning to ask which disciplines was he specialized in, but she bit on her tongue and waited for him to get to his point.
"The usage of the Disciplines costs us power, as we use Blood in order to profit from out abilities. Now, and this is very important, if any of my guests attempts to make prolonged eye contact with you, break it. Do not allow them to look into your eyes for too long. Further more, if any of them, man or woman seems utterly attractive, or desirable in an unusually strong manner, try to stay at a distance. It means that they are trying to gain control over you. It may prove dangerous."
Kagome was listening, and she tried not to think in perspective. Yes, she understood what he'd just said and made mental notes. But… something didn't fit.
"How do you call your... Disciplines?"
"Presence is the one you should be mostly fearful of as it doesn't require eye contact. And with the eye contact, Dominate."
"So is this the only difference?" she was almost afraid to think into it.
Sesshoumaru knew what she was thinking, and he knew what she was going to think. The conclusion was easy to draw out, as far as she was concerned. Her wavering expression said it all. She fought against the thought, but would eventually come to embrace it. But he had to protect her, no matter the cost. She would hate him afterwards, but he had to protect her. And this was the only way. Better that she was here tonight, where he could see her, than locked in a room somewhere with or against her will, at risk that someone might find her. She was too important.
"No. Presence affects the way you feel towards the one who uses it. It alters emotion to the point where you may fall in love with the kindred, and he may even call upon you from across the world, and you will respond his call and search for him. He could inspire either such horror or such love that you wouldn't be able to resist submitting to his desire. You wouldn't even be able to think that there might be a way to not obey him."
Kagome's eyes were watery. She didn't want to think that he'd used this power on her. She didn't want to think that she was so weak as to be manipulated like that. But, that would explain the attraction towards him, the feelings he rose inside her all the time, the way she sometimes didn't want to leave his side… It would have explained it all. She took a deep breath. She had to hear it all the way through. Sesshoumaru noticed her shift, and thought she doubted him by now. But he continued.
"Dominate is used to force the mortals into performing different tasks. One word may drive them to either scream for nothing or stick a knife into the person next to them, depending on how skilled the kindred is. We can alter memories, or replace them entirely, we can condition one to act a certain way in a certain given circumstance, and we can even control their body, leaving them as spectators to their own actions. Again, depending on the kindred's skills."
She shivered slightly, and swallowed her awe. This was unbelievable.
"Do you… have these abilities also?" she was afraid of the answer.
"I do." A heavy rock fell on her heart and she frowned.
"You've used them… on me. Didn't you?" He knew she would ask this. The thing was, he didn't know if she would believe him if he was to tell her the truth.
"Remember when you could not move from your seat, and when you could not smile at me?" She nodded.
"That was the extent at which I used it on you. Nothing more."
She couldn't believe him. Not anymore. Who was to tell that he hadn't done horrible things to her, and then just erase her memory? Who was to tell that what she remembered about him now wasn't an implanted memory? Her head spun around, and she couldn't think anymore.
She felt his hands on her shoulders and shot her eyes up at him. She jumped from her seat and went around it, putting some distance between them.
"Don't… touch me." She said, looking at the floor. She couldn't be sure of anything, anymore. How could she be?
"Exactly how… skillful are you?" she asked, and he threw his head back a little.
"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru said, but she raised a finger, still looking down. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, as she desperately tried to settle her quivering.
"I have to know. Is there like a scale, or what?"
"Yes, something like that. Four out of five at both Disciplines." He said, as if he would have confessed to a murder.
She reacted as if she would have received a punch in the stomach.
Her violet eyes shot up at him again, and her gaze was hollow. Sesshoumaru regretted her reaction, although he knew it was inevitable.
"How could I trust you, now?" She said, and her words showed exactly what she was feeling. Betrayal.
He looked at her mindfully.
"Did you ever trust me?" he asked. Kagome didn't know. She thought she might have, but now…
"I did not ask of you to trust me, Kagome. I sometimes distrust myself. It is not only stupid, but even dangerous to completely trust a vampire."
"And you say it just like that…" she said, with some amount of resent in her voice.
"How else am I to say it? Truth is best served raw, Kagome. What do you think stopped me from harming you, so far?" he closed in on her and went around the armchair she'd used as a shield until then. Their eyes were stuck on each other's and Kagome couldn't think anymore. She was afraid he would make her so some senseless thing, and that she couldn't oppose him.
"I don't know. Who's to say you didn't and then just erased my memory?" he looked angered, and clenched his teeth.
"I did not bring you here so that I may have a toy, Kagome. I am not that twisted." His voice was even lower than usual, and she could read the anger in his eyes.
"Even we have rules we follow. Even if they are our own." She blinked and nodded, but she didn't believe him. She simply couldn't.
"I know it is much to take. But I ask of you not to act out tonight. You might put yourself in danger." His hand cupped her cheek and Kagome flinched. She wanted to turn her head against his palm, but resisted, thinking that it may not be her real feeling. She was gonna go crazy if she kept this up.
"Why did you make me come, then? Why am I here tonight? Wouldn't it be easier if I was up in my room, away from them?"
He shook his head.
"No. Better here, where I may see you and watch over you." She almost laughed, but instead let out a nervous sound that resembled a bark more than anything else.
"Watch over me? Yeah…" she rubbed the back of her neck, looking down and backing away from his touch.
"I guess you could put it like that too." She smiled sadly, and sighed.
"I guess that's it, then. Anything else?" the air of renounce around her didn't suit her, Sesshoumaru thought. But there was nothing he could do. Not without using his… powers.
"Just stay close to me, alright?"
"Yeah." She said flatly, and sat down.
"You think I can get a glass of that wine you got there? I really need it." He gave her a quick look, but she held her forehead in her palm, looking down.
"Of course." He said, and went to the bar, returning with a glass similar to his. He hadn't filled it, as a drunken frightened Kagome on his hands tonight might prove too much to handle.
She was gonna ask him not to manipulate her, but even if she got a promise out of that perfect mouth of his, it could mean nothing now. She took a sip from the wine, and noticed it tasted quite good. She remembered the time when she thought it was blood. It seemed ridiculous at that moment. She let out a deep breath, as she stared at the fire. Sesshoumaru was seated in front of her, on a similar armchair, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, and his thin black coat resting on either side of his body, reaching to his knees.
He was always well dressed, and in that elegant manner too, she thought. She didn't wanna think about mind control anymore. So she focused on something else.
"What other clans are there?" she asked, making him look at her rather surprised. He hadn't given her curiosity enough credit, as it seemed.
"We are divided into Camarilla and Sabbat. The general rumor goes that Camarilla are the… good guys so to say. Ventrue are part of the Camarilla. We try to keep The Masquerade… that is we do not wish mortals to know we exist. Sabbat are vicious and openly violent. The clans are divided to fit these two sides, except for some Independents." He shrugged his shoulders in a manner Kagome hadn't seen before, at him.
"I guess we are all enemies, no matter of our clan. Facing some great threat, we stand united, but even so we each form our side plan, we cheat, lie, manipulate and kill to get our way. The frightening thing is, most of the time we do get our way, and then only want more. Consuming power, until the power consumes us."
He shook his head slightly, looking somewhere over her shoulder, seemingly at nothing at all, maybe through the wall, because his gold eyes were out of focus. He took a drink and swallowed with some difficulty. He could feel a lump in his throat.
His face seemed to say "What's the point?" but his mouth refused to word it out.
"There are the Giovanni, which would probably be able to interact with Kikyo here. They specialize in connecting to the dead, the spirits or however you want to call them. Then the Brujah. Personally, I find them a gathering of hypocrites with some amount of power on their hands. My clan would probably throw in some more adjectives, but I prefer not to. They are merely barbaric.
Gangrel are fierce creatures, with powerful animalistic instincts, even more violent than Brujah. Malkavians… they really are mad to the core. But very dangerous, though. They would probably be able to get anyone mad too, and squeeze any piece of useful information out of them even if it were the best kept secret of their clan. You do not want to meet one, I assure you.
Nosferatu have the main disadvantage that they are so hideous they cannot walk the streets without drawing horrified looks. They actually prefer it that way, though, and are forced to live in the sewers and catacombs even to this day. The Toreador is a clan of high life kindred. It is possible that you may even know some, as they move in high circles that include actors, models, fashion designers… They enjoy the attention and are very good looking. Personally, I find them shallow. Usually, Ventrue takes sides with them. Hn…
Tremeres are warlocks, so to say; they cast spells and use magic more than any other clan. And these are only the clans of Camarilla. Sabbat are usually more fierce and grotesque than the others."
Kagome as listening silently, watching his blank expression that seldom shifted into a disgusted of bored one. He really didn't give a damn about them, as it would seem.
"How about Ventrue? What's your thing?" she asked, making him snap out of his trance.
"Ventrue… are mostly noblemen, wealthy men and women coming from major families, with tradition over the ages. Just like I am. Lords. They call us Blue Bloods." His smile showed exactly how much he valued this label. Not at all. You already know much about what we can do."
"Do you have any weaknesses? I mean, you seem so strong, almost like nothing could kill you… for good." His eyes sparked at her, and he wondered if he should tell her. There was really no way she could succeed in harming him, she was after all mortal, so he decided to answer her question.
"We do. Sunlight, fire… werewolves!" he said, raising an eyebrow. She widened her eyes.
"Noticed that." She mumbled.
"And one particular one that only applies to Ventrue, due to how stuck up we are, as you would probably say it. We may only feed from one particular category of mortals, and no other."
Kagome frowned.
"How come?"
"When we are Embraced…"
"Embraced?" she asked, a little confused.
"The proper term for being turned into a vampire. Embraced. When we are embraced, we are being offered blood from a specific category of mortals. We remain conditioned to feed exclusively on that category."
"Like what? What kind of categories are there?" she felt like mortals were sliced cattle in the window of a slaughter house, for these creatures.
I'll have two pieces of liver, please!
She quivered, disgusted.
"Small children, virgins, young women, clerics…" he said, as if it were something along the lines of a story. She felt she was getting sick.
"So… what's your... pack?" He frowned. Sure she was distressed. He was gonna label her as… whatever, and she hated being labeled and thrown into some group. She was used to standing out, to being different.
"Young women."
"Oh…" she said, and raised her eyebrows.
"Isn't that a little ambiguous? I mean, how young is young? Twelve? Fifteen? Twenty? Thirty? I think you got scammed… "
And she could joke about it! Sesshoumaru smiled, amused.
"Well, I do not know. How old are you, Kagome?" he leaned to her and put his elbows on his knees, lightly spreading his legs. Kagome crossed her own legs, knowing that the split in her dress would take advantage and leave her thigh open to the sight.
"How old would you say I was?" she said, all serious and gazing into his eyes, completely forgetting he could make her do whatever crossed his twisted mind.
Sesshoumaru took the bait, glad that she wasn't glooming anymore. If she could openly defy him like this, then she would finally come through and accept the state of facts.
"I would say no more than twenty six." His voice went deeper, and she felt a shudder through her body. She wondered if it was really her feeling.
"Twenty five." She said, nodding once in appreciation.
"So what if I was a virgin? What then? Would you have died? Because that's another category, you know…" He smirked and cleared his throat.
"I assumed you weren't."
"Oh, you assumed." She stressed the word and smiled at him sweetly.
"Whatever drew you to that assumption, Sesshoumaru? I'm not married…"
"Please…" he said, as if she would insult his intelligence.
"No, no, I wanna know. What made you sure I wasn't a virgin? Because as you've put it, if you fed from another category you can't rightly function. So. Spill." She commanded, and he wanted to throw in some rude remark over her looks, but held back. It didn't suit him to do that.
"Well, Kagome, you being virgin would not interfere with you being a young woman, now would it? Categories may intertwine." She huffed.
"You just don't wanna answer me." Sesshoumaru began to think her stubbornness had no limits to it. Sure, he would answer her. But she asked for it!
"No virgin woman could look at me that way, Kagome. Virgins shy away. You just defied me and stood against me. You were intrigued, but not really that intimidated. Your eyes linger on my body a little longer than they should, and your gestures are studied. That shows you have had a lover. I believe a skillful one too, because you are well aware of your sex appeal, and your body. And last but not least, the way you walk. Your hips move in that almost hypnotic manner that is only met in women, not girls. Enough?"
She was speechless. But she'd done it to herself.
'Why did I have to push him? Why?' she thought.
"I see you're quite the detective. Have you given this much thought?"
"Enough, I would say. I did come up with the correct answer, did I not?" She shrugged and sighed.
"Yeah." She didn't know what else she could say.
"I want you to promise me something." Kagome blurted out, again without much thought to it. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.
"Do you think it would matter if I promised anything?"
"I don't know. I'll take a shot at it." She leaned forward a little, the fabric sliding up her thigh completely leaving her leg out of the dress. Sesshoumaru wanted to take a better look, but tried to keep his eyes on hers. He knew she was doing it on purpose.
'This woman's playing with fire. Doesn't she know I could practically have her anytime I want?' But that was just it. He didn't want to force her; he didn't want her to submit because he's used his powers on her. She had to submit by her own will. He and his damned ego!
"Alright. Ask me." His husky voice crept down her spine, spreading inside her lower stomach. He was daring her, with a little amusement in his tone.
"Don't use your powers on me anymore." He knew she was gonna ask this.
"I was not going to, anyway." She didn't seem to believe him.
"But you have."
"Only with what I have told you before. It could barely be qualifiable as manipulating, would you not agree?" Kagome seemed upset.
"You're lying. Why are you…" she stopped and realized he might actually be telling the truth. After all, it wasn't impossible that she was attracted to him only because of him and not his playing tricks with her mind.
Sesshoumaru smirked at her, with a content look on his face, and tilted his head, narrowing his eyes further more. Kagome bit her lower lip. BUSTED! Was all she could think. Man, was she the biggest idiot ever, or what?
"Kagome, I relieve myself of any such responsibility for your feelings around me. I have not manipulated you in any way." His self confident smirk drove her mad. What was worse, she had no means of wiping it from his face. Lost a battle, but not the war…
"So I get a little… unsettled. Don't let it get to your head, vampire! It's no biggy. And besides, I have a boyfriend." He huffed on his nose.
"Like that would matter." He replied swiftly, making her turn almost as red as her dress. To mock her further more, he decided to tell the truth all the way, knowing that she wouldn't believe him anyway.
"If you must know, you unsettle me as well… Kagome." Her name rolled off his lips like a caress, and she immediately clenched her teeth.
"I hate you, you jerk! Why does it have to be like that with you, every time? You don't get enough kicks out of pissing me off, or what? Do you have to make fun of me too?" She drank half of the wine in her glass, before he could stand up and walk towards her. He lifted her chin with a finger, but she pulled her head rapidly to the side.
"Oh, leave me alone already! At this time, I'd rather have twenty vampires wonder around here than being alone with you!" Sesshoumaru thought that was indeed something!
Almost half an hour later, Kagome got her wish fulfilled. Sesshoumaru's guests were few, but by no means easy to disregard. If anything, each and every one stood out in their specific manner. There were seven men and three women, each looking at the others as if they would have expected them to jump at their throats at any given moment.
Sesshoumaru introduced Kagome with a wave of regret that she had to go through this. Everyone eyed her with superiority and arrogance. No exceptions. Kagome could barely hold back her anger, but remembered what Sesshoumaru had advised her, and took her seat by his side not saying a word.
As the eleven vampires set out to talk about what Kagome thought to be the equivalent of their small talk, she took the time to analyze their appearance and behavior. Most of them were handsome, beautiful or however you may put it. The men had almost the same air as Sesshoumaru, sure with themselves and their unmistakable charm. One had very long black hair and a fair complexion with the most unusual green eyes Kagome had ever seen. They looked like green water, or glass.
His features were soft, and he didn't appear to be more that 25 years old. That is, he looked 25, but Kagome knew he must have been hundreds of years old. She tried to remember his name. Alexis. Yes, that was his name. No last name, just like Sesshoumaru. She figured they only used last names in their interaction with mortals.
Another man seemed older, around 36 years. What drew Kagome's attention towards him was the fact that his fangs were completely grown and visible every time he opened his mouth to say something. Also, his eyes were shaped like a feline's. It gave him an animalistic look which distressed Kagome. She knew his name was Viktor.
The women were all dressed in evening gowns which didn't resemble Kagome's at all, but mostly followed the fashion from around 1880-1890. They looked ancient, dressed like that, and somewhat ridiculous, Kagome thought. But neither of the men seemed to bother with studying their fashion style. They were mostly preoccupied with themselves, and sending dagger-glares at the others. She felt disgusted by how egotistical and self centered these beings were.
Neither minded her, they only looked at her once, when she'd been introduced, but given her mortal state, she was obviously considered below them. She couldn't care less, they seemed like they had nothing interesting to say anyhow. She focused on Sesshoumaru, who was now saying something about some sort of danger.
"There's no such thing as a war going on, Sesshoumaru." A man said. His black eyes looked at the taiyoukai with some amount of superiority, but Sesshoumaru ignored it.
"I have been attacked by one, and I am sure it was not an isolated event. The werewolf had nothing against me as an individual, but against kindred, as always. He never even tried to talk to me."
"That's all assumption, Sesshoumaru. Maybe he didn't want you to know what he has against you. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. I say we let this pass. I really can't believe I've come all the way here for your assumptions!" Alexis said, and his voice seemed to reach into Kagome's mind more than any other. She looked at his face, his strange green eyes, and felt unsettled.
"I think we should look into it. It cannot hurt, and maybe we'll find some interesting details along the way." A woman said. Her full, red lips barely moved, and her face remained immobile as she did this, but her sapphire eyes were stuck on Sesshoumaru, and Kagome thought she saw a faint smile come from her. It was definitely the kind of smile that invited a man to do more than look at a woman, and Kagome felt disgusted by her obvious intention, so transparently displayed. Were all vampires this perverted, or was she just too human?
Sesshoumaru took the woman's invitation as coldly as if it were a man's.
"Thank you Gisele." Was all he said, then turned to Kagome, as everyone seemed interested in arguing with the person next to them.
"Stop looking at him." Sesshoumaru whispered, and Kagome frowned. What the hell? Now she wasn't even allowed to look at someone? She didn't feel like Alexis was trying to catch her glance, so there was no danger, was it?
"Stop being so tensed, it's nothing." She whispered back, and Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.
"I said stop. Do not argue with me." With that last cold remark he straightened into his chair, and continued his discussion with Viktor and another man whose name Kagome couldn't remember. She just remembered that he'd been the only one who had taken her hand when they were introduced. He looked like the oldest from that gathering, and his manners obviously stated that.
"Albericht, you've always been more of a softy than you cared to admit, so please just don't interfere with this." Viktor said, and Albericht (because that was his name) tilted his head.
"Mind your language, young one." He said, and his voice was calm and undisturbed. Kagome thought he should be significantly older than Viktor, if he could call him young one.
"Sesshoumaru has a point, and we should inform the Sire, if he doesn't already know that is. I support him entirely. There is no such thing as a random attack from the werewolves."
"Agreed." Gisele said, interfering into the conversation, and drawing Kagome's look of disapproval. The vampire woman saw Kagome's look, and settled her blue eyes on her before Sesshoumaru could warn her against it. Kagome felt something stinging in the back of her chest and found that she couldn't break eye contact. She was instantly speared by a hot wave and then froze.
"Gisele!" Sesshoumaru's voice darted through the air, and the woman broke her death glare, leaving Kagome confused and angered.
"This kine has no business here, Sesshoumaru. Why don't you keep her locked like the others? She's only good for one thing anyway, even if she is sort of pretty." Her voice was calm but her eyes were burning, and Kagome could feel resent grow inside her.
'Others? What others?' she wondered, and gave Sesshoumaru a fleeting look.
"That is none of your business, Gisele. Neither is it anyone's but mine and mine alone."
That seemed to shut the woman's mouth, but the look in her eyes clearly stated that she wanted it to be her business. Kagome figured she must have had a thing for Sesshoumaru, otherwise her jealousy wouldn't have been explained. Because under that mask of arrogance jealousy was lurking in all its glory.
Kagome straightened her back on the chair and felt someone gaze at her. She looked across the table and caught Alexis' eyes upon her face. She stared back carefully, but the vampire didn't make any attempt to use his powers on her. He was just looking at her, his eyes passing over her neck, shoulders and chest much like any man's would, when facing a beautiful woman.
His look wasn't even hungry, or filled with that lust that so much disgusted her in some men, but only appreciative. Kagome felt beautiful under his eyes, and sketched a smile. Alexis smiled back, and his entire face lit up, his weird green eyes sparkling at her. He moved on his seat and his hair spilled over his shoulder and on his right cheek, giving him a mysterious appearance.
He really was beautiful, and that dark blur coat he wore only enhanced his beauty. Kagome involuntarily bit her bottom lip, only for a second. That was enough for Sesshoumaru to see it, and feel like he could pin her to a wall.
'God damn it, does this woman ever sit still?' He wondered, and began to think that she'd driven him up the walls more often in the last week than any other being in the last five hundred years. But he had to be a host now, and couldn't be her babysitter for God's sake! So he only touched her leg with his knee, under the table, just to make her realize she was acting improperly.
Kagome caught his point, but simply ignored him. They weren't having dinner; the only things on the table were come wine bottles and glasses of all sorts. Kagome was somewhat hungry though, but forgot all about it when they all stood up and began forming small groups in the large room, each discussing the imminence or probability of another war breaking out between vampires and werewolves. Kagome couldn't hear much, because she's been ostracized from the groups, as it wasn't a kine's business to take part at these gatherings anyway, as she heard Gisele whisper. So despite her curiosity, she went in a corner of the room and held on to her glass of wine while looking at the raid speckled on the window.
She sighed and thought she should be more afraid. After all, there people fed on the blood of the likes of her. She was their vessel… and his river. That thought made her shiver, and she clenched her fingers on the glass.
"Gisele is not very friendly, Miss Kagome." She heard a voice behind her. The deep tonality almost resembled Sesshoumaru's but this wasn't him. Kagome knew who it was. Alexis.
"I really don't care about her." She decided to say, because it was the truth and she was too tired to lie." Alexis huffed out a laugh, and cleared his throat. He went around her and Kagome moved to see him better. His hair reached to his waist, and was flowing like silk.
"I believe you mean that just as you've said it. Few kine… I apologize, mortals can say that. Maybe none, except for you."
Kagome shrugged.
"Doesn't this bother you?" he asked, and she just looked at him wondering what he meant.
"Being here, with us? Usually, when mortals are given this kind of opportunity, they tend to freeze in fear. You know what your presence here implies." Kagome thought he was referring to the imminence of her being turned into a vampire, and nodded. Sesshoumaru couldn't tell them that he was gonna let her go just like that.
Alexis raised an eyebrow.
"You're quite courageous."
"Why do you think he's chosen me for?" Kagome nodded towards Sesshoumaru, who was caught in a discussion with Albericht and Viktor.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru always had a good taste in women."
"Women?" Kagome smiled.
"I would say more like childer." She said, and Alexis smiled back.
"No. Women. He's never had a childe. You are his first. I must say it is quite unusual for a kindred to last this long without producing progeny, but Sesshoumaru was always a little different."
Kagome was surprised. She'd wondered if he'd ever… embraced, but didn't have the nerve to ask him. Now she'd found out and didn't know what to make of it. When she thought about it, it made sense.
"Then I should have every reason to feel special." She concluded, smiling at Alexis, who merely raised a corner of his mouth in a rogue smile.
"Indeed." He reached out and touched her shoulder, passing his fingers over her skin. Kagome noticed he was warm. Why was he making this effort? For her? She could hardly think that. But there seemed to be no other reason. She looked at him surprised.
"I didn't want you to feel out of place." He said, responding to her unspoken question.
"Why do you care?" Kagome said, barely keeping herself from whispering.
Alexis smiled kindly at her, and Kagome felt happy all of a sudden. She felt like a teenager in love. This vampire was really something.
"I like you." His simple words made her widen her smile and tilt her head. She felt at ease with him, which was somewhat weirs, given the fact that he was what he was, and she was what she was.
'Sesshoumaru will get really pissed over this.' She thought, as she took a small step towards Alexis, and engaged into a private conversation with him, amazed at how easily she could interact with him. He was mostly interested in her travels, her work, and Kagome found out that he himself was the owner of major TV station and a few newspapers which specialized in travel stories, discovering nature and wildlife, and other such things. Kagome knew most of them, and was completely stunned with the finding. They had a lot in common.
Sesshoumaru periodically looked towards the two, standing across the room, and he felt his temper fire up as he saw Alexis touch her repeatedly. This was too much! Kagome's gonna have a piece of his mind after this is over. That is, if he could hold back until then, and not force her out of the room.
:---: